Time Wounds All Heals
by Censorship is a Cancer
Summary: A Death Sentence fan-fiction. Lennon Berkley had the perfect life. Read and find out how disastrous it gets when she runs into an old friend. Lame summary.
1. The Tragedy and The Tears

**Time Wounds All Heals**

Within seconds, anyone's life can change. Lennon Berkley recalled the drastic change in scenery from the highway to the guardrail so well. Singing to the typical girlish heartthrobs, the Backstreet Boys with her stepmother, who had grown on her since she was ten, and her father, who was driving and putting up sourly with the squeals of the BSB fans. And then she was screaming, the CD was skipping as the car thrashed onto its side, then onto the top, then onto the other side, then finally into the ditch. She remembered the terrible throbbing in her skull near her right temple; she also remembered how eerily quiet it all went after the car had ceased moving.

They say that before you die, your life flashes before your eyes. Lennon only recalled one event. She had been ten. She was leaving Boston to go to New York with her father. She was saying goodbye to her best friend and brother.

--

"_You'll call, right?" Billy asked. Lennon nodded, giving him a brief hug. _

"_Of course she'll call." Said Isaiah, her brother as he hugged her. _

_Isaiah worked at Billy's dad, Bones' car shop. He was five years older than her, but their bond was unbreakable. He was just as sad as Billy to see her go. _

_Billy was four years older than her, tough and stubborn as ever, but still her best friend. Len had a habit of hanging out with almost all of Isaiah's friends. They were pretty much the only crowd she knew. Plus, she knew that they enjoyed her company. She knew they would miss her just as much as Isaiah would. Her mother never cared for her older friends, though her father was determined to put a stop to it. One of the other reasons as to why she was moving away. She was too young for fourteen-year-old best friends._

"_Long distance, I think daddy said. But I promise I'll try. If I can't call, I'll write and if I can't write… then I'll… I'll try and get an email address!" Billy laughed, giving her another hug and giving her a smile. _

"_I'll try and… uh… steal a computer!" He joked. Hearing his father, Bones, calling his name from inside the body shop, Billy frowned. "I better go. Sorry."_

"_Don't ever be sorry. We both know what could happen if you don't listen." Tears began welling in her eyes. Billy gave her a small punch in the arm. "Ow!"_

"_Crying is for pussies." He commented. A fourteen-year-old with such a vocabulary? Only Billy. Lenny chuckled and nodded. _

"_I'll see you later."_

"_Visit."_

"_I'll try." She gave her brother a big hug. She then took off down the street, knowing that her father's car would be pulling up soon to take her away to New York. The woman that he was now married to, Hillary D'Maurier, was a liar… a lawyer? Seemed the same thing. In any case, the tiny dancer knew that she was going to be facing an entirely different life than the one she had faced with her mother and her brother._

–

She had spent four months in the hospital, needing to recoup from a head injury, as well as a spiral fractured left leg. Lennon Berkley was doomed to a life without the parents she knew and loved so well. Why this was so subtly sprung on her perfect life, she had no idea. She remained in her bed in her final week of recuperation, conversing with her new advisor, Daniel Henson.

"You're going to be living with your real mother, then? Back in Boston?" He asked, making sure she knew her final decision. "You still have all the money that your father and stepmother left for you. You could always just buy a nice condo and live through that. With your excellent grades, any university would be lucky to have you."

"It might be a lot, but I want to save it. I think I might... have a garage sale of their stuff, sell the house. If I'm planning on going to Juliard, I'll need all the financial support I can get. And then some for after I leave." She wanted to be smart about all this. "I'll pay rent with my mom. I don't mind. Plus, I have a few old friends to visit back there. I've sort of lost contact with some of them." Her voice was dark, gloomy, almost robotic. She had no emotion left within the confines of her beautiful face. She had cried it all out the many months before this moment.

"Alright. I'll get a price range on the house. When do you want to have the garage sale?"

"As soon as it's a sunny day and you're free to help me cart everything out." She replied tonelessly. Daniel nodded and stood.

"Okay. If you want, I can go do that today."

"Yes." She replied immediately. "I don't want to have to see a single thing from that house." It would just hurt her too much to remember her childhood there. She didn't even want to go back home to sleep in her bed. The sooner she let go, the sooner she could move on and live a happy and remotely normal life.

She hadn't yet told Daniel that she hadn't contacted her mother yet to be sure she could stay there. A part of her figured that a surprise was in store. Maybe then, someone could be happily surprised and cheer her up.

"Okay." He turned to leave and disappeared from sight. Lennon's eyes never followed him once. She just wanted death to consume her and she'd be happy. She wanted out. She wanted her parents back. With these terrible mirages in her head, she placed her head in her hands and cried.


	2. The Yard Sale and The New Company

The yard sale had gone better than expected. She had raised over five grand just on the large furniture alone. Apparently there was more than met the eye to her stepmother's fortune. The spare nick-knacks that she had sold (children toys, lamps, TV, CDs, etc.) had almost worked up to about five hundred dollars. She had taken her stepmother's jewellery to a pawn shop downtown New York, making another grand off the amount of real stones that she had in her possession. The one thing that she couldn't give up was a pendant of St. Christopher that her stepmother had kept with her. She hadn't had it on the day of the crash. Call Lennon superstitious, but that was one of the reasons as to why she thought the crash had occurred. Her mother didn't have any protection from evil.

Needless to say, if Lennon played her cards right, she would have enough for Julliard and enough for residence. She was glad to know that, adding onto the amount of money her parents had left behind for her and the amount of money she had made off the garage sale alone, she had enough to keep up with her life.

Their house was built in the '50s, had 1,800 square feet to it, beautiful hardwood flooring, nine rooms in total, had too many windows to count, set on four acres, fabulous stonework and a barn for their horses, which had yet to be sold as well. However, Angie decided to add the three horses in as a bonus for taking the property. She just wanted it all gone out of her life. And she was bargaining a lot for it, as well.

Selling the house had become a bit of a bigger problem. Such a grueling process for Len, indeed. She had to stand there as the people critiqued everything, right down to the last tile. Their house was big and a very unique settlement on the countryside. So far, the price range was six-hundred thousand dollars. She couldn't believe the price of her childhood. No matter, Lennon mused as she took her last stroll through the beautiful settlement, this would all be put behind her. She would be starting fresh again once she went back to Boston.

"So…you're good, then?" Daniel asked finally while they stood outside her gate at the airport. Lennon took a deep breath, forced a tight-lipped grin and nodded to assure him. Not a word of comfort left either mouth. Daniel simply patted her back gently and grinned a bit more sincerely back at her. "I'll see you if I see you, then."

"Take care, Danny." She wished him well. He was a good man. Daniel nodded curtly and turned from her, leaving her to board by herself, which she did without trouble.

Though Lennon had planned on sleeping through the entire trip, it seemed that all she could do was dwell on the past. This was exactly what she had promised she wouldn't do. She wouldn't think about the crash. She wouldn't think about anything that involved her parents. She had to keep strong for them, just keep living her life. The shock, it seemed, was still with her. Lenny was unable to wrap her mind fully around the fact that they were gone.

Getting off the plane wasn't a problem. None of her luggage was lost and she had exited the plane without hesitation. She hated to fly. It always did make her nervous.

Looking around the arrival area, she frowned. How the hell was she supposed to know what her brother looked like now? She remembered talking to him on the phone. He had said that he was taller now. Like that would help her. She huffed in frustration, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Damn it, 'Aiah." She muttered.

"I was waiting for that." A voice sounded behind her. She whipped to face the man behind her, coming face-to-face with a tall, dark-haired, handsome man. A strong resemblance between the two as well. This was definitely Isaiah. She forced another tight grin. "Don't force a smile, Lenny. Your face will get stuck like that." He chided humorously.

They stood there a long moment, awkwardness filling the bubble surrounding them. This was the first time in a long time that she had made any contact whatsoever with her brother. She'd expected this to be a bit less grueling. She couldn't remember why.

"Hug me, you awful jackass." She muttered, breaking the silence between them and causing him to chuckle. A bear-hug encircled her waist and hauled her off her feet. She hugged back, though not as tight. She could've sworn she felt her back crack. "Oof! Okay! Okay, put me down now!" She exclaimed, a laugh forced its way up her throat.

He set her back on her feet. "Come on, Len." She missed those nicknames. Her full name was Lennon. Her stepmother and father called her Lenny or Lennon, since they lacked imagination. Isaiah, however, used to come up with names like Len, 'El, 'Ellie, 'Ellie-belly. She always did enjoy his creativity and wit.

"Do you still live in the same house?" She asked. Isaiah shook his head while he grasped her luggage from her hand, slinging it over his shoulder and leading her towards his car.

"No. Mom hooked up with some bum. Drained her of every fuckin' penny, so she dipped on me, left me with the house. I'm uh… living with a bit of a different crowd now." He informed her. Lennon's eyes widened and she shifted her gaze towards him.

"What do you mean?" She knew what "different" meant. She just hoped it wasn't the "different" that she knew. Sure, their lives with their mother weren't the best, but they still knew the difference between right and wrong. Apparently Isaiah may have forgotten.

Isaiah cleared his throat. "I'm in an apartment building a few blocks away from Stygian Street. You remember where that old abandoned mental hospital was, right?" She nodded. "Yeah, well, there's an apartment building there, kind of rundown, though. In reality, it's a piece of shit, but it's all we got." Stygian Street. Why did that sound so familiar? Lennon knitted her eyebrows together in curiosity, but since she couldn't remember, she shrugged it off and continued.

"That's okay. It's just gonna have to do." She said, nodding.

"I wouldn't worry too much about the crowds." Isaiah assured her. "You know the majority of them, anyway."

"Oh yeah? How so?"

"Well, you'd know Billy."


	3. The Mourning After and 'Goodnight Lenny'

The car ride was painfully silent. They had done the majority of their talking throughout the walk to the car. Her fingers absentmindedly fidgeted with one another. Her eyes never left the right shoulder of the road as Isaiah sped them to their destination. His voice tugged her out of her reverie as they had pulled off the road and into the damaged lot of a rundown apartment building. "We're here." He informed her. Lenny opened the door without so much as a nod and pulled her large duffel bag from the back seat, determined this time to carry it by herself. It was late at night and Isaiah had to drive as she had been able to fall asleep and rest her eyes. She wasn't going to make him carry her things.

Isaiah, however, had different ideas. He wrenched the bag from her grip and began heading up the rusted, untrustworthy spiral staircase and to an apartment marked 12C on the very end to the left at the top of the steps. Len followed without hesitation into the room behind him.

"There's only one room here. You can have it and I'll sleep on the couch." Lennon had opened her mouth and shook her head, attempting to throw his hospitality. Isaiah held up his hand. "Shut up, 'Ellie. I don't want to hear it, okay? Let me be the nice guy without the women's rights spew for once?" Lennon clamped her mouth shut, motioning for him to further lead her into the apartment and show her around the tiny space.

The room was semi-spacious. Nothing like her old room, but it was something that she could live with. She had such little possessions left. Only a few clothes, her ballet slippers and her pendant of St. Christopher on a golden chain around her neck. She was content with what little she had, though she'd have to go shopping for… feminine products on the morrow for her bathing needs. She cleared her throat, watching Isaiah's back throughout the entire tour. When it had ceased, he turned to her, noting her boring solemn expression.

"Cheer the hell up, Lenny. This ain't the end of the fucking world. You're startin' somethin' new here." He urged. There was the 'Aiah she knew so well. Supportive, blunt and hard. She loved that about her brother when she was younger. He was never afraid to tell her the truth, no matter her young and innocent age. She nodded as he took her by the shoulders and gave her a light shake.

"I know. I'm just… I miss 'em." She confessed with an almost nonchalant shrug, almost as though she didn't care for the fact that she was alone, only that she missed them. She missed their attention, how they were always there when she needed them. She missed their emotional and moral support. She knew that she had 'Aiah for that now, but in a sense, he did tend to get sick of her need for attention when she was ten. Sure, she was a lot more obvious about her needs then, but what now? Now, she still felt like she was ten years old. Lost and alone and scared, just in an older woman's body.

"And I'm sure they fuckin' miss you. Hell, look at the young woman you turned out to be. I'm gonna be beatin' Billy off with a damn stick. He'll be all over you." A flash of dangerous, brotherly worry gleamed in his eyes. This alone almost caused a true smile to tug at Lennon's lips before she forced it down. Her brother had always been the only one (besides Billy) to ever really make her smile in dire situations. He would make light of another situation, make the current trauma seem completely insignificant. How refreshing a personality, he was.

"From what I recall, Billy was never 'all over me' in the first place." She retorted, her eyebrows hiking up to meet her hair line. Isaiah responded at first with a small chortle and a hand through his hair, bending his head slightly before his eyes met Lennon's.

"A fuckin' reminder that you were ten years old and he was fourteen." A true fact. Lennon decided to bring around an old joke she used often as a child. She only hoped Isaiah remembered it and didn't freak out on her as he used to.

"You sayin' I'm fat?" She asked, faking an offended look.

"Shut up." He replied, a devilish grin appearing on his own face, though his tone was a bit more harsh. Almost as though to tell her she was stupid for ever thinking such a thing.

"Say 'goodnight Lennon'." She said, turning to lean on the door frame leading into the bedroom, her own wolfish smirk clouding her sadness. Isaiah reached up and pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek in that brotherly manner. She hugged him back and pulled away, watching and waiting for those words.

"Goodnight Lenny."

She smiled, bid him goodnight, then shut the door. She had fallen asleep soon after the lights were out. She hadn't even combed her hair, brushed her teeth or changed into her pajamas. Apparently she was a lot more tired than she knew.


	4. The Chef and 'Go Comatose'

"Throw your fuckin' drinks up!"

Billy and his gang of eccentric animals celebrated at their hotspot, the Four Roses, smacking down shots of Tequila for a successful heist that brought another proud member into the family.

"That little fucker may rot in jail for the next five years, but he'll find it worthy when we got a slut waiting for him at the front door, won't he?!" His voice was raised, his manner was cold and ruthless.

The brutes howled and cackled at his comment. They shot down more Tequila as the waitress continued the deliveries of endless glasses filled with strong poison. Billy, though, made it clear he'd leave early that night; a meeting with Isaiah was a commitment. He may have been a psychotic fuck, but at least he was honorable. Plus, he had business that he and Isaiah needed to take care of. He didn't need his deadbeat dad busting his balls because another shipment didn't go through.

* * *

Lennon wiggled out of bed and made her way towards the kitchen and opened the fridge. During her peering, her eyes had caught sight of familiar eggs and bacon sitting beside some old Chinese take-out food. She paused a moment, grabbing the take-out and opening it. After sniffing it, she gagged slightly, then moved towards the trash to dump it all out.

"Hey! What are yah doin'?" Came Isaiah's voice from behind her. She jumped slightly and turned to her brother, shifting to put her weight on her other foot so that she could give her injured limb a rest. It seemed that once Isaiah caught sight of the Chinese food, he had to make a snide comment. "Just so you know, it's bad."

"Just so you know, maggots have made it their new getaway hot spot." Isaiah seemed to chuckle at her comment.

"So throw it out." He said, shrugging helplessly. This alone made Lennon become slightly irritated. She had turned to him by this point, cocking a slim hip to the side and resting her fist on it. She shot him a small glare in the process before speaking.

"I was going to."

"Should've fuckin' told me that earlier, Lenny, I'm not a mind reader." Immediately, Lennon turned away, muttering curses under her breath while she tossed the box into the trash. Not even a full day there and she was already getting frustrated with her beloved brother. How long was she going to last before she finally went insane? How long until she stole guns and started killing everyone in Boston off one by one?

Men, she mused to herself.

* * *

The next morning, Billy was pounding at the door, obviously making it aware he usually let himself inside. Lennon seemed to pay no heed to the entry of a guest. She was busying herself with the cleanup of Isaiah's crummy apartment. She had to feel like it was a space she could live healthily in or she would drive herself insane. She already felt dirty and grimy and in desperate need of a shower.

"Paging Doctor Faggot!" he hollered down the hall, standing by the door and purposely getting the dirt from his boots on the carpet. Flicking his favorite Zippo open to light his cancer stick. "Come in, Doctor Faggot!"

"Jesus fuckin' Christ, man." Isaiah suddenly popped from the other room and made his way towards Billy. He motioned with his thumb towards the kitchen in an authoritative manner. "Show some manners, huh? I got company." Company? Isaiah hardly ever had company. Well, he did, but he never called it "company".

"The fuck? You didn't pay her, yet? These hookers ain't no fuckin' housewives, you sad ass."

Isaiah couldn't help the chuckle under his breath, but shook his head concurrently, an almost wicked and knowing grin remaining plastered on his face.

"Nah, man. I got family here. My sister." The only image that came to Billy's mind was a scrawny ten-year-old running around and trying to get away from him. He'd always attack her with tickling. He found it entertaining to see her squirming around.

"Your sister?" Darley took a good hit of his cigarette before flicking it off. Heavy boots pacing slowly on the carpet floor to catch a glimpse of a scrawny little brunette mixed in golden locks. His glare could only scream what he was thinking.

What. The. Fuck?

Lennon was whistling softly to herself while tossing the rest of the bad food in the fridge to the trashcan. She'd wound up bringing out her iPod, playing "You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate on her portable speakers. Eventually, she shrugged it off the fact that they obviously had a guest, continuing her work before beginning to make the eggs. Isaiah would take care of it. It's not like it was anyone she knew.

The heavy boots on the carpet didn't mean anything to her, but after a long while of whistling and cracking eggs and shaking her little bum from side to side, she could feel the cold stare on her back. Lenny wanted to snap, to scream at whoever it was to go away, but she played it shakily cool. There was no telling just who was behind her, but they were obviously coming to see her for a reason. She froze in her spot before turning to face a man she once knew so well.

Too bad she couldn't recognize him worth shit at this point. She could only narrow her eyes before reaching over and shutting off her iPod. She rested a hand on her hip, standing there in her ripped and wrinkled jeans and her black tank top.

"You done staring, buddy?" She snapped rather snottily, tapping her fingers on her hip.

"Well, I would. But I keep asking myself, 'where the fuck is the rest of this so-called body?'" He replied with a wolfish grin, making Lennon feel immediately uncomfortable. She folded her arms over her chest, which only seemed to push her breasts together. It wasn't like she had no body. She was curvy and fit. Plus, dancers were always supposed to be more petit than most. It was how they were built, especially ballerinas.

"Jesus Christ. Billy Darley. I remembered when you had hair. Now you look like an oversized Q-tip and you're making fun of me?" She scoffed while turning back to her eggs, flipping them successfully before turning to search for a plate.

Isiah hooked on Billy's shoulder and forced his glare against him, much to the ganglord's dismay. "Be a bit more polite, asshole. She ain't had it easy since she got here."

"I'm not crippled, 'Aiah." She spat. Lennon stared a moment after that, but said nothing while her brother stepped between her and her old friend.

"And who the fuck told her coming here would be any better? 'Cause the constant gunfights is real soothing..." Billy's hand gestures mocked along his tone of a white collar in his own high. "Like the sounds of that darn ocean." Isaiah chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head and running his fingers through his wild, untamed hair.

Darley strolled into the kitchen to catch her frying away. Though he wouldn't admit it, the smell of eggs and bacon was so fucking refreshing. Like a bitter orgasm followed by a shot of Jack and a cigarette. What more could a fuckin' man ask for?

This was Lennon. Little Lennon he loved to tickle to death and chase around when they were kids. One of the few friends he trusted to take him away from the abusive world of his bastard father. Now she was all grown. Scrawny as fuck, but grown.

"Lenny Berkley's finally found her way back to the fuckin' hellhole we call home. Tell me, sweets..." Billy leaned against the fridge door, lighting yet another cigarette. "You still ticklish, or am I gonna have to remind you of it?" This question caused Lenny to laugh that time. She shook her head, keeping her eyes on her food so she wouldn't have to look at his face.

"Ticklish? No. Not since uh… not since I left my dad's house." She admitted with a small shrug, her face immediately going straight once the memories came flooding in once again.

"I'm gonna go… into… the fuckin' living room." Came Isaiah's non-confrontational tone. Isaiah had always been a negotiation man. He could talk his way out of anything. He figured Lennon could handle herself with Billy. Then again, she was ten the last time she was able to handle him. He'd developed a lot more backbone since then and a much shorter temper.

Lenny said nothing, putting her eggs onto her plate and continuing on to butter the toast she'd made.

"Hey, Isaiah, you want anything while I'm here?" A resounding "no" echoed from the small living room. She shrugged helplessly, then turned her attention to Billy. "What about you, skin-head? You want eggs? Or you thinkin' of standing there to ponder whether I'm a boy or not?" She asked.

Billy suddenly darted towards her plate and put his cigarette out on her eggs. Towering over this little brat was more than satisfying on his end. But it didn't overpower the fact at how fucking pissed he was.

"Hey!" She snapped once he tossed her plate to the floor. She shook her head, beginning to clean up the mess the fucker had made.

"You ever call me a Q-tip or skinhead again, I'll make sure to stuff your next breakfast plate up your fuckin' ass, understand?"

Billy pushed the plate to a loud crash against carpet. Fortunately for the plate, it didn't break. But eggs, toast and ash was tossed everywhere. Darley found it his cue to head off.

"Control your fuckin' bitch, Isaiah!" Darley rushed the living to find his comrade spread across the couch with an arm over his eyes. "Or I'll imprint my size twelve boot on her boney ass."

The ganglord stormed off expecting Isaiah to follow. Isaiah himself wasn't aware he was leaving and got the short end of the stick.

"Don't make me drag your fuckin' ass out here, Isaiah. Get your shit in gear!"

"I can't, dude. I gotta watch Lenny."

She muttered curses under her breath, then paused once she heard raised voices.

An eerie silence filled the room. That was heard was the clank of boots again. It, of course, was Billy. Dashing towards the living room.

"What'd you say, motherfucker?"

Lennon jumped up from her spot, then dashed to the living room, stepping between Billy and Isaiah. "Stop! Jesus Christ, your temper is absolutely fucking ridiculous." She muttered, facing Billy defiantly. She puffed out her chest slightly, only to make herself seem slightly bigger than she really was. "If Isaiah needs to stay here, then he'll stay here, he's not under _your_ command!" She snapped, poking him hard in the chest.

Isaiah immediately stood from the couch and stepped between Lennon and Billy. "Look! Len, it's okay. Really, just… calm down, both of you." He said, holding his hands up. "Billy, I gotta stay here, I'm not leaving my sister alone. You're a big boy, I'm sure you can take care of yourself for one fuckin' day."

Lennon paused a moment, then adopted a smug look, crossing her arms over her nicely-developed chest, perking a brow and daring the man to say any different. She remembered Billy being stubborn before she left, but she never would've expected him to grow into something like this. He was someone completely different, someone she would never recognize. He wasn't a man. He was… something else.

She rolled her eyes after a moment, reaching up to rub her temple as a migrane kicked in. "I'm gonna go take my pills." She muttered under her breath, limping towards her bedroom. Her leg was beginning to ache and her head was suddenly throbbing intensely.

"Yeah, that's it..." Billy glared over the little petite scampering off in pretty much a single leg for her pain killers. "Go comatose for me, baby."

The cloud of anger emanating from his crystal blue hues suddenly shot towards one of the very few men he trusted.

"If the bitch is gonna be around, learn to control her. 'Cause if you don't..." Darley trailed closer, the smell of cigarettes and Jack on his hot breath pushed against Isaiah's face. "The last scream you'll hear from her is in a fuckin' body bag, understand?"

The ganglord made that his cue to storm off. The flick of his lighter echoing down the hall. Other than his little brother, Billy didn't tolerate shit - let alone ease up - on no one.


	5. The Crush and The Race

"How old is your little sister bitch now, Isaiah?" asked Billy, who had finally convinced Lennon's brother to go out for drinks while Joe stayed home to watch over her. Isaiah seemed to roll his eyes and slam his empty shot glass on the table. All the boys jumped except Billy, who merely blinked and raised his hands to level with his head, his palms facing his old friend. "Hey, I'm just asking, no need to give me the third fuckin' degree." Isaiah rolled his eyes at this statement, running his hands through his messy hair in annoyance. However, the moment he'd smoothed it down, it just seemed to hop right back to the way it was positioned before. He sighed in frustration, deciding to make a bit of a scene for Billy, since the man seemed so adamant about bringing up his sister every ten minutes in conversation.

"Ever since she stood up to yah, she's all you've ever fuckin' talked about, man. What up?" Isaiah snapped back, growing more frustrated with every word he spoke. He'd protect Lennon with his life and Billy knew it. So why insult her? Why make all these accusations? Why was he even asking himself these questions? This was Billy he was angry with. He was probably just doing it to piss him off. "You _do_ fuckin' remember that she's my sister, right?"

"Of course I fuckin' remember, Isaiah, what's your deal with this whole livin' situation, anyway? She's what? Twenty-one? I'm pretty fuckin' sure yah don't need someone fuckin' watchin' her every second."

"She'll be twenty-one in two weeks, you should know, since she has the same fuckin' birthday as you. She ain't been here for a long fuckin' time, Billy, she can't handle her fuckin' self alone, no matter how much she says she can. Plus, she's injured. Doctors say she shouldn't do too much fuckin' work or she'll just get fuckin' worse. I ain't riskin' that. I don't need to be draggin' her ass to the hospital, wondering if she's not gonna fuckin' survive the night. I like her healin' up perfect just the way she fuckin' is. You, of all people, know how rough this neighborhood is, Billy." He explained.

"Injured? The fuck happened to her that's so fuckin' traumatic, huh?" It seemed that Isaiah's pleading for remote sympathy was bypassed completely. Typical Billy, the older Berkley boy mused to himself.

"Oh, I don't fuckin' know. Maybe the fact that she was in a fuckin' car accident and lost both her parents? That could be it, but I ain't too fuckin' sure." He snapped back, his voice dripping with sarcasm and disdain. Billy's face seemed to straighten out slightly. He raised a finger and pointed it in Isaiah's direction.

"Don't fuckin' sass me, Miss Berkley." Billy warned, causing the boys around the table to laugh quietly.

It had just occurred to Isaiah that he just let slip the entire story of Lennon's reason for being here in one sentence. He sunk into his seat slightly, then half-covered his face. That was one of the negative prospects of being a talker. Though one could talk, they never seemed to think before their words came out.

"This lovely little story does not leave this fucking table, boys." Darley stated, sensing Isaiah's sudden uneasiness. He reached over and clapped Isaiah on the back in slight reassurance.

* * *

Meanwhile, Joe and Lennon seemed to be getting along alright. They'd decided to watch Ghostbusters and play a card game. Since Lennon had never played poker before, Joe had offered to teach her. She was catching on quickly and was actually starting to beat him.

"Shit. You're kicking my ass, Lennon." He complained, but with a large grin on his face. Lenny could only laugh and shake her head.

"I don't even know how the hell I'm doing it." She said with an innocent shrug of her shoulders. This caused Joe to laugh as he arose from his seat on the floor, stretching and cracking his back.

"I'm gonna go out for a smoke. You wanna come?" He asked. Lennon nodded curtly and arose from her seat, bending over to touch her toes in order to stretch out her body. Once she'd straightened herself out, she noticed that Joe was staring her down. "How the fuck do you do that?"

"Do what?" She asked him, knitting her eyebrows together in confusion while she leaned back and cracked her spine.

"Touch your toes like that. You a fuckin'... dancer or somethin'?"

"Ex-dancer, yeah. I'm not as good with my stretches as I used to be, though." She said, shrugging off her sweater, since she was hot. She hadn't noticed that Joe's eyes went a bit wider. He gestured to her.

"You mean you were more flexible before you came here?"

"Well, yeah. Ballet really isn't all sunshine and roses unless you're able to hold your leg in the air for at least five minutes."

Joe merely rolled his eyes. "Holy shit, girl. No wonder Billy always talks about your ass."

"Huh? He talks about my butt?" Joe seemed to freeze for a moment, then looked like he wanted to laugh. Which he did, loudly. He actually wound up clutching his stomach and hunching over slightly from the humor of what she had said. What _had_ she said to get this reaction out of him?

"No, not your fuckin'... Jesus Christ, you're too fuckin' white. Well, he does talk about your actual **ass** on some occasions. Maybe once--that's not the point I was gettin' at. He just... fuckin' talks about yah." Lennon didn't know what to say. Was it a good thing that he talked about her? No... no, she really couldn't see it being a good thing.

"I'm assuming that's not a good thing." She prodded slightly, joining him out on the walkway to the stairs.

"Not really. Y'know, Isaiah's told us all about your little fuckin' reunion and Billy never shuts up about it. It ain't often someone, especially a woman, stands up to Billy." He said, lighting up his cigarette. Lennon chuckled to herself.

"Well, it's not like he just took it and left."

"Oh, I know. He always fuckin'... brags about putting you in your place. Which we hardly believe. All we fuckin' pay attention to is the fact that yah called him an overgrown Q-tip." He and Lennon both began laughing that time, clutching their bellies and beginning to walk out the door.

"In my place?" She said through calmer breaths of laughter. A swell of fury began to rage in her stomach slowly. "Really. In my place."

"Yeah, but Billy always talks about shit like that. About anyone, really. It's just the way he fuckin' is, you know?"

"Huh." She muttered, leaning against the rail while she watched Joe light up his cigarette and offer her one. She passed on that one, merely standing there and staring at the door to Isaiah's apartment. Her mind was spinning. How could a man like that find such interest in a girl like her? She was hardly anything to look at, which was what she always thought. She dressed like a boy most of the time and she had such a weird attitude. Fuck, she was just weird in general.

* * *

"A car accident, huh?" Billy had asked once the boys had been dismissed, leaving he and Isaiah alone to chat about 'business'. Yet once again, all they seemed to be discussing was Lennon. Isaiah was truly getting sick of it all. "That's why she had to take her fuckin' 'pills', right?"

"Yeah, she's got some shit with her knee. I don't ask questions, I just leave her to her shit. I figure she'll be better off healing without thinking I'm just watching over her so she _can_ heal. I know she don't like to think about the crash much. Fuck, she hardly likes to talk about her folks in general, which is fuckin' weird. She used to be so much more open when she was younger. Now it's like I'm tryin' to read brail." He said, shrugging and leaning back into his seat, his hands delving into his messy hair. Isaiah always seemed to do that when he was slightly irritable. It was a trait that Billy knew of, but didn't heed it. Whether his friend was getting annoyed with him or not didn't matter. It didn't make him want to know any less about Lennon.

"And here I thought she was just fucking psychotic." He admitted, laughing aloud at his own joke, which seemed tasteless to Isaiah at the time.

"Why? Because she's insane enough to call you a walking Q-tip and not cower in fear when you attacked her eggs?" Billy shot a glare in his direction and Isaiah choked on his drink. He coughed a bit, but cleared his throat to continue. "Look, I'm just sayin', if we were on a playground, you'd be pulling her fuckin' pigtails and pushing her face in the dirt now." He added, clearing his throat a few more times and trying to suppress a grin that wouldn't fucking fade.

"What. You think I got some kinda fuckin' crush on her?"

"Hey, I wouldn't be surprised. It would explain a lot." He leaned in slightly. "And I respect yah, Billy, which is why I see fit to give yah a warning to stay away from my sister. She's too fuckin' good for yah and you know it. You and I _both_ know it. She don't need no fuckin' drama, she's had enough and she's just passin' the fuck through her. She's not plannin' on settlin' down here and she's not lookin' for nothin' except herself. Just... as far as relationships or fuck-buddies goes, she's off the fuckin' market, okay?"

Billy's face seemed to go immediately cold while he stared Isaiah down. Isaiah, however, remained unfearing and stern in his accusation. Knowing that the man wasn't about to budge from his opinion, Billy leaned in slightly, toying with his shot glass in his hand.

"You threatenin' me, Isaiah?" He asked. Isaiah still remained unfearing, which seemed to get to Billy.

"No. I'm just warning you that I won't have control over my actions if you hurt so much as one strand of hair on my little sister's head." He replied, his voice calm and collected, whereas Billy's seemed shaky with the amount of anger and rage pushed into those few words.

Billy tossed back his shot and slammed it onto the table, pushing himself up from the table and tossing a few bills onto the table. He said nothing to his business partner, though before he'd smacked Isaiah upside his head hard before he began walking for the door.

"You better beat me to your apartment then, fucker." He snapped harshly, showing that he wasn't joking about this anymore. There was no possible way that Billy would have some lame-ass crush on that scrawny bitch who put herself on a pedestal. She was too fucking high and mighty for his taste.

* * *

"Look, Len." Joe said. "You're... how old are yah?"

"I'm gonna be twenty-one in two weeks."

"Shit, you got the same birthday as Billy. So why am I here watching over you?"

"Ask my brother, because I've told him a million times that I can take care of myself." She explained, shrugging helplessly. Joe flicked his cigarette and checked his watch."You seem like you're in a hurry. You have a date or something?"

"Actually I do." He replied, grinning cheekily at Lennon, who merely laughed. "Nah, I joke. I've got fuckin' work tonight, so I'll have to go and cover my post soon. Billy will be pretty fuckin' pissed if he gets there and I'm not there." He explained. Len only nodded, not bothering to ask where he worked. She felt as though she already knew the answer. Whatever Billy was into, there was no doubt in her mind that he'd gotten Joe into the same thing. Those thoughts made her more uneasy than she cared to admit. It worried her that her brother was into the same things Billy was into. It seemed like dangerous stuff, too dangerous. God, why did everyone around here need to act like such adrenaline junkies? It was pointless and all it really meant was that they were going to reach their deaths sooner than expected.

She didn't want Isaiah to meet such a premature end. The idea of him being in danger alone scared her, as it would any sister of a drug dealer.

"You alright, Len? Yah seem awfully quiet." He stated, catching Lennon in the midst of her thoughts. She quickly glanced over to him, then shook her head, leaning against the rail now. She had been about to say something when she'd noticed her brother's car speeding into the parking lot of the broken down apartment complex, Billy's car followed not too far behind it. She rolled her eyes as Billy had immediately gotten out of his car and motioned to Joe.

"Get the fuck in the car, Joe." He said aloud, his voice booming in anger. Isaiah could only smirk while he walked up the spiral staircase, meeting Joe halfway. He shook Joe's hand respectfully, drawing him into a brief half-hug before making his way up the steps to meet Lennon and drag her inside. Lenny was way ahead of him and had already made her way back into the apartment after she'd said her farewells to Joe, not wanting to see or even acknowledge Billy Darley anytime soon.

Billy, however, had other ideas. "Goodnight, Lennon fuckin' Berkley!" He shouted, causing even Lennon's cheeks to go red with embarassment from inside the apartment.

"What is up with that guy?" She asked Isaiah. Her brother just shook his head, patting her back softly.

"I got no fuckin' clue."


	6. Freedom and The Chef Returns!

Of course, Billy found Isaiah's warning to be something of a challenge. How to hurt his sister without actually hurting his sister. He found it entertaining. The constant rude remarks and the final act of violence that he would commit on everything around her, but not her. Just seeing her eyes go all big and doe-y in fear made him tingly all over. He was breaking her, just as he had done to all his boys. She'd come to be just like them someday and he could only imagine how proud he'd be when she'd start sticking up for him to her own brother. Now that would be such a fucking fantastic accomplishment of manipulation, he mused to himself, grinning at the idea.

Now the scene was set. Lennon was walking alongside Isaiah's car, refusing to step foot into it because: A) Billy Darley was in the front seat and B) Because she wanted some source of independance that she knew she wasn't getting from Isaiah.

"Get in the car, Lenny." His sister huffed at the authoritative voice of her brother, her arms crossed over her chest. Why did he need to be so damn protective? It wasn't like anything was going to happen. She wasn't going to get hurt from anyone. Especially not in broad daylight. "Come on, Len. I'll take you to the damn store, just get in the fucking car." He repeated, his voice becoming more stern and demanding. He sounded like dad.

"The store is right around the corner, 'Aiah, I remember passing it. I'll be home in a few minutes, just go!" She snapped. She noticed Billy hadn't said a damn thing about her childish antics. She knew that she was being unreasonable, even with all the things her brother had warned her to look out for on their ride home. The young ones always did think they were invincible. This was possibly a good thing, since Billy's comments would only piss her off more. However, when his voice rang through her ears, she stopped in the middle of her trek and turned to him.

"Lennon. Get your ass in the car." He had said, his voice sounded rough, but serious enough to catch her attention. That was all that needed to be said. She looked to her feet again and turned, moving towards the car. Billy could only smirk with triumph. This made her pause, however, taking a few steps back from the car and shaking her head. She wasn't about to get into the same car as this asshole, it wasn't worth it.

"No." She said, shaking her head and continuing to walk down the road.

"Come _on_, Lennon!"

"No, okay, how about this: I'll keep walking. And you guys can just... keep following me in that car, since you seem so good at doing that. Goodness gracious, you guys are like creepy stalker material, here. Neither of you are associated with Edward Cullen, are you?" She asked, motioning to them after her reference to Twilight.

Jesus, what a horrendous book and movie. Though she had to admit, the graphics were pretty cool.

"Fuck this. Stop the car." Billy demanded. Isaiah obeyed and slammed his foot on the brakes in frustration. Billy got out of the car, then grabbed the back of Lennon's collar, dragging her up against his body. "Get. In. The fucking. Car." He demanded in a low hiss. Lennon could only whip her head to face his direction and shoot him a harsh glare.

"I suggest you let go of me, Darley." She warned, her hands balling into fists.

"_You_ threatenin' me now, Lennon?" He asked, his fingers worming from her collar up into the bed of soft, brown and golden tresses, just to give her a small jolt of pain that she couldn't ignore. He heard a small gasp rip from her throat. "You're not doing a very good fucking job of it, Len. Now I'm gonna tell yah one more time to get into the fuckin' car, or I'll take drastic fuckin' measures and force you into it. I don't give a shit what your brother says."

She climbed into the back wordlessly and she pulled her feet to her chest after she buckled her seatbelt. She was quiet as a mouse the rest of the way to the grocery store, which was a relief for both boys in the front. They found her hateful silence refreshing. Her presence was still there and they didn't need to put up with her nagging at them because of their naturally protective nature. This was the type of treatment one received while associating with Billy and his friends. She would soon learn this well.

"Okay, so what do we need, here?" Asked Isaiah while they entered the grocery store. Billy had some things to do, but informed them that he'd gladly come over for dinner. Inviting himself over was something he did often. Luckily for him, there was something better than takeout that was going to be waiting on the table. It was a nice feeling, having a dinner to eat every night. Lennon didn't yet have that experience. Nor would she, with the amount of money that she had profited from the demise of her parents. A good thing, too. They had looked out for her well enough. Enough to support her through pretty much all of Julliard.

At first, Lenny had protested, claiming that it was rude to just think that he'd be welcomed after almost beating her up on the sidewalk. Isaiah, however, forced his way into the argument, taking Billy's side and informing Billy that he could come over if he wanted to. It was his apartment, after all.

"Milk, chicken, cream of chicken soup..." Lennon began listing the supplies that she'd need for dinner. She was making her mom's famous chicken-with-rice recipe. It looked like slop, but once Lennon had tried it, she couldn't get enough of it. It was probably the most delicious slop she'd ever tasted. It smelled great and looked gross, but the appearance was well worth the consumption of the dish. Billy would learn to like it, more than likely. And if he didn't, then she'd make something else. Cooking was Len's escape when she couldn't dance. She loved testing and toying with different amounts of food.

Once they had bought everything, Lennon headed out of the store with Isaiah, three heavy bags in each hand. Isaiah carried four in each. "I don't understand why we had to buy so damn much of this stuff." Angie complained. Isaiah playfully nudged her with his elbow.

"Come on, 'Ellie. You really think you're only going to be feeding me and Billy?" He asked. Lennon's eyebrows hiked up to meet her hairline. Isaiah scoffed and laughed playfully. "He's gonna be bringing his friends, too." He added for effect, causing a small gasp to rip from her throat. She hauled her wrist up to check her watch. Almost two-thirty. She sighed. She had more than enough time to get everything ready for the boys.

"How many exactly are coming over, 'Aiah?" She asked.

"Enough to make you buy so much of the _same damn thing_." Isaiah replied with another small chuckle. Lenny's eyes widened and she let out a huff of astonishment.

"I better get started."


	7. The Meal and The Price

The business had kept Billy late. Nobody seemed to specify what business they were pulling exactly, but Lennon assumed that the knowledge would come to her in time. She had a feeling that, should she push and prod, she'd find out something about her former best friend that she probably didn't want to know. So she kept her mouth shut while she prepared dinner, a bit less surprised when she had heard Billy and his boys barging through the front door to Isaiah's tiny apartment. Dinner was pretty much ready by the time they showed up. Thank God, just as well. She didn't want to deal with angry thugs. Especially since some/all of them were hopped up on something other than life.

"Smells good." Billy said in a snide tone as he entered the kitchen, almost startling Lenny out of her skin. She had yelped and turned, almost beating him with the spatula that she had in her hand. Billy raised his arms up, tilting his head to the side slightly so he didn't get hit by any flying, hot food. "Whoa. Shit, calm down. I ain't gonna kill ya." He assured her with a wolfish grin. He lowered his hands and he cocked an egotistical brow.

"Yeah. Right." She paused, then forced a smile. "Is everyone here already?" She asked. Billy didn't do anything except nod. Lennon copied it, suddenly feeling nervous with him watching over her shoulder. "Okay. Well, dinner will be ready soon. Uh... take a load off." She said awkwardly. Billy didn't move for a moment, staring at her skeptically and intensely. She shifted nervously. He left to join his crew. "Jesus, that man takes a lot out of a human being." She muttered to herself while turning back to the pot she had been stirring, watching as the goop came to a delicious simmer. "Yum!" She sang delightedly to herself before taking the large pot off the stove with oven mitts and bringing it out to the kitchen table. She set the steaming pot in the center atop a wooden cutting board, watching in amusement as the boys made disgusted faces.

"What the fuck is that?" Piped Billy's younger brother. All Lennon could do in response was raise a brow and fold her arms over her chest. As though she was mightily offended at the question. The boys snapped their mouths shut and they slowly moved towards the pot, reaching cautiously for the ladle to put it on their plates, which Isaiah handed out earlier. Lennon disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and brought back out soy sauce for them to put on top. It always made the goop taste that much better. She was excited for this.

It served them right, inviting themselves over like this. She was going to make them think they were about to eat the most disgusting stuff ever. But in the end, if they tried it, they'd find themselves addicted. "Don't worry, boys." She assured them, a smile seeping onto her face. "It isn't going to bite you. Come on. 'Aiah will eat the first plate." The boys immediately backed off and motioned for Isaiah to take the first bit of it. Isaiah made a grossed out face and glared at Lenny, who could only smirk deviously in mute reply. He took hold of the ladle and scooped the gooey substance onto his plate, almost yanking the soy sauce from Lennon and pouring it onto the odd-looking, creamy stuff. He dumped his fork in and took a big bite, almost allowing the hidden deliciousness of the combination to sink into his astonished taste buds. He shut his eyes. The men waited impatiently for his response to the foreign dish.

"This is probably..." He trailed off, opening his eyes. "The best stuff I've ever fuckin' tried, man. Dig in, boys." He nodded to Lennon to get her attention. "You might need to make more. You got a lot of empty stomachs to fill. I don't think a simple pot is gonna do it for them."

As the boys tried the food, one by one, they all seemed to grow attached to the addictive taste and the thick, creamy, promising texture. "I'll make more. There's more than enough to get rid of, so I might as well use it." She assured her brother, moving back into the kitchen to create more of the succulent entree.

Billy seemed to be the only one not eating. Isaiah had even given him an offended look, but only got a perked eyebrow in his direction. Billy wasn't about to give Lennon the satisfaction of watching him eat or enjoy her food. It would negate the very impression he had meant to leave on her. He wanted to piss her off, to make her angry, maybe even make her cry. He was good at bringing out those emotions in people and she was a tough one to break. He'd get her eventually, though. No doubt in his mind.

Lennon wound up in the kitchen all night. If she wasn't cooking, then she was washing dishes. She sighed as she wiped a drop of sweat from her brow. The day had been hot and the night was surprisingly hotter. She moved to the wet dishes and began drying them. She'd hardly noticed the heavy boot steps making their way into the kitchen, due to the iPod blasting in her ears. Once she had finished with the last dish, she set it aside, then turned to leave the kitchen.

Isaiah was with the boys in the living room, playing a shot game with one gang member named Bodie. For reasons only known to her, Lennon refused to join them. She knew she didn't belong with that crowd and she wasn't about to try to fit in. She wasn't a part of their world anymore. Not like she had been when she was ten. There was no way she was about to sit down and attempt civil conversation with them. There was just no use.

She immediately bumped into a steely chest in front of her. Apparently Billy had no trouble with invading someone's personal space. She had gasped and backed herself against the sink, fumbling to get her iPod buds out of her ears. She put her music on pause and glared up at him harshly. "Has anyone ever told you that the whole 'sneaking up on people' thing is getting really old?"

"Not for me." He replied with yet another wolfish grin. Ugh, the man was insufferable!

"Why aren't you with the boys?" She asked him skeptically. She could smell the whiskey strong on his breath.

"Well, I'd tell you, but a messenger like me's got a fuckin' price." Lennon rolled her eyes. She refused to fall for this sore attempt at trickery.

"Just tell me what my brother said. Does he need me in the living room?" She asked, perking a brow, her fist finding home on her hip. Billy rolled his eyes in a drunken manner.

"I told you, I've got a fuckin' price." He repeated, mocking her stance slightly. Lennon blinked hard, not wanting to even know what the price was.

"Fine. I'll ask him myself." She said, making to brush past him. However, he had blocked her path. "Jesus, Billy, just let me through!" She snapped harshly.

"Price." He said simply, getting a bit closer to her. Lennon pulled away from him slightly, a look of disgust on her face.

"Christ, you're a weird drunk." She muttered to herself, watching his every move. "Fine. What's the price?"

"Just a simple, little... miniscule fuckin' kiss." Immediately, she became offended, reaching up to slap him hard across the face.

Billy seemed more shocked than anything else. Women had never dared to slap him before, let alone a former best friend. Being drunk, he'd stumbled slightly and had wound up biting his lip in the process, which had started to bleed. He touched his stinging lip, ogling the blood for a moment before staring at Lennon in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me with this, Darley? A kiss? For what? Threatening me on the sidewalk and treating me like shit ever since we ran into one another the day after I arrived? Yeah, because you get brownie points for being such a model host to me." She chided. However, immediate guilt pegged her in the stomach when she saw his lip bleeding. "Ugh..." she moved to grab a clean hand towel, dampening it under the tap for his lip. However, the palm pressed against her lower back had caused her to jump and whip around, sprinkling some water onto his shirt. "Stop _doing_ that!" She snapped, her eyes narrowing. Billy's tongue drew over the cut on his lower lip before holding up two fingers.

"Now you owe me two." He stated simply.

"You don't even have the right to _suggest_ something like that. Stop _touching_ me!" She snapped, shoving him off hard and wiggling out of arm's reach of him. "I'm going to see my brother. Here." She snapped, throwing the wash cloth into his chest. "Put that on your lip and just... sober up or something." She then disappeared into the hallway, making her way into the living room to see what Isaiah needed.

Apparently he just wanted her company. So, she'd wound up being seated between him and Joe, joking around with them and taking a few shots to herself. Billy never came back from the kitchen, oddly enough. Though Lennon had convinced herself that she didn't care, her curiosity was getting the better of her. So, once the majority of the boys had begun focusing more on the game than on her, she excused herself to go back into the kitchen.

The sight that met her eyes was fairly priceless. There was Billy Darley, stuffing his face with the meal she had made. Lennon wanted to say something, but no words came to mind. So, she merely grinned to herself and left him to fill his stomach, knowing full well that it would probably be gone by the time he left.


	8. A Place To Stay and The Cleaner

Over a month had passed. Berkley had grown accustomed to her situation. Her leg was healing rather well, though sometimes it would cramp up on her, making it hard to walk. There were parts of her body that didn't seem to function properly since the crash. Her migraines still never went away, but had died down somewhat.

Lennon had gotten a job. Though, she'd never really consider it a job, since she never did any work. Her work consisted of playing Monopoly in the PhotoHut with her stoner of a boss, Leo. Good man, she mused to herself with an almost wicked grin while she made her move and held out her hand to Leo. "Pay up, dude. I win again." She said cockily.

She checked her watch, shaking her head. "Shit. My shift is up, Leo. I'm out for a bit. Just uh… just sit there and… think about what phones would look like if our mouths were nowhere near our face." She said, leaving Leo, staring at the ceiling. He'd be good for another hour or so.

She swooped out the door, hiking her bag over her shoulder and checking her watch. Where was Isaiah? Usually he picked her up for lunch around this time.

* * *

Young Men Dead by the Black Angels roared in Billy's Mustang Fastback. A classic with the right touches made into a powerful machine. The ganglord sang along with a cigarette at hand, shifting gears to slow to a corner. There, Lenny, standing there to see a man unexpected.

Much to Isaiah's surprise, Billy offered to pick Lenny up from work. It was an exceptional agreement considering he wanted Isaiah to finish up some work left behind. The last thing necessary was to fall back on bullshit.

Lenny paused on the spot, every muscle in her body freezing the moment her eyes settled on Billy Darley's familiar Mustang. What the hell was he doing here? He didn't honestly expect her to get into that damn car with him, did he? She'd much rather walk home through gang central in hooker boots, short-shorts and a tube top.

"Hey, chubby cheeks!" Darley hollered across the passenger window. "Get your cute little ass inside."

There, Leo, Lenny's dumbass pothead of a boss burst through his doors to catch Lenny in time.

"Whoa, Lenny! You won't believe what I just thought of, man!" Leo started making odd hand gestures mid-air. "Imagine how phones would look like if our mouths were nowhere near our face..."

Her gaze eventually collected elsewhere, to Leo once he burst through the door, spewing his nonsense.

A slight pause, Leo then phased in and shot a stare at the girl.

"Oh, yeah. Your shift's over, man. I'm not sure if you're scheduled for tomorrow, but you start at 10. I saw it in your schedule."

Leo strolled back in to close up, and Billy could only shake his head in awe. Dude was a fucking dimwit.

Darley looked over the little brunette again; a cloud of smoke accessed his lips and a grin followed.

"Get in, you little shit."

Lennon rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to retort before Billy had piped up and ordered her to come along. "Oh, do shut up, I'm coming." She snapped back to him, slinging her bag over her shoulder again. Why the hell did she suddenly feel her knees becoming ready to give out from under her? Why was she suddenly nervous? It wasn't like she hadn't been alone with Billy before. Though, the last time she had been alone with him, he had come onto her. She'd been sure to avoid being alone with him for the past month. She'd worked _hard_ to avoid his presence with everything she had in her.

Once her ass met cushion, she thrust her bag between her feet and adjusted her jean skirt and fitted red tee, buttoning her green jacket self-consciously. Why in the reddest depths of hell was Billy picking her up? She didn't bother asking questions. Instead, she cast her eyes out the window, watching the people pass by quickly. However, soon enough, Lenny piped up with one of her many questions.

"You're dropping me off at home, right?" She asked in an almost nervous tone, reaching up to scratch the top of her head.

"Nope. Food. I'm hungry as fuck. If you're not..." Billy glanced her over before focusing back towards the roads, that wolfish smirk finding his face once more. "Well, I really don't give a shit."

It wasn't long before Billy shot a sudden left to a drive-thru. The hairless bastard ordered a shitload of food with the concept of Lenny stealing a bite. Burgers, fries, apple pies, chicken tenders, you name it, he got it. On the drive home, he devoured a couple burgers. Laces of tomato struggling to hang at the corner of his lip. Fucking pig. Lennon was astonished she was capable of holding her lunch in her stomach after hearing all the things he'd shoved into his face at once. The man really held no shame, did he?

"You should prolly know that you ain't going 'home'. Not your home, anyway. Isaiah ain't gonna be here 'till next week and I promised the fucker I'd look over you." He said, still chewing his food. Lennon almost couldn't make out what he was saying.

"And he said I'm staying with _you_? Of all people." She muttered to herself, ceasing her glaring before shooting her gaze back out the window. She ran slender, nimble digits through her straightened hair.

"We'll get some of your shit on the way over. Last thing I need is you walking around in some stank ass underwear."

Lennon made a disgusted face, shooting him another glare in the process. Of course, just to spite him, she'd stolen the chicken fingers, fries and mayo to eat on the way home. She'd been sure to stuff them all into her mouth before he'd had the chance to steal any.

He tended elsewhere other than her glare. He could almost feel her gaze piercing through his skin, and the last thing he wanted was to lose his fucking cool in the middle of the road. But he had to admit, she held a certain charm when she was stuffing that food into her mouth like a starved animal.

Upon pulling into the parking lot of Isaiah's building, Lenny got ready to exit the car.

"Okay. I'll be right back with my things. But good God, man, at least _act_ like you're remotely civilized and clean the shit around your mouth." She snapped almost viciously before departing from the car and taking her purse with her.

She glanced around the rather bare room, having grabbed her ballet shoes, boom box, CDs and all the clothes she would need for the week. What she couldn't figure out was why her knees were so shaky at the thought of spending seven whole days with the asshole waiting for her in the Mustang (which she'd grown rather fond of, much to her dismay). She would have to do her best not to lose her temper with him. Without Isaiah around to be the referee, how the hell were they going to survive before they started ripping each other apart? The thought of being alone in a car with him frightened her enough.

Oh well. At least Joe wasn't half as bad as his brother. With her luck, she wouldn't even have to see Billy the whole week. The thought seemed to make her smile with delight. If she could get through the whole week without seeing him, then she would be in heaven. Maybe she could beg Leo for some extra shifts? Maybe she could go out and get a night job at a bar. She _was_ twenty-one now.

Still, those knees wouldn't stop shaking. She heaved a heavy sigh and made her way back to the car.

"Okay. Let's go." She slammed the door, staring straight ahead with a clenched jaw.

The ride wasn't all sunshine and daises. The awkward silence wasn't an intention of being awkward around the girl, but mostly because Billy didn't know what type of conversation to strike. She was into things that he'd burn the hairs on his nutsack before letting himself get into the same thing.

Going into this dark, wood-built apartment was more settling. It wasn't a fucking palace, but it was cozy enough to surprise even the most modestly spoiled. Though the obvious mess was another story.

"Here's the tour..." Roaming through the scattered clothes was easy. The sight of his kitchen would otherwise make Lenny puke. Dishes and pizza boxes everywhere. Beer bottles and old cigarette carts, Billy made it his current crave to raid the fridge and get a cold one. Twisting off the cap and tossing it over his shoulder. "Here ends the tour. Have a nice fuckin' day."

Once Lennon's eyes came into contact with the kitchen, however, her cheeks immediately inflated, but she covered her mouth. A gagging sound left her nostrils before she swallowed hard. She thanked God that Billy had been facing away from her at the time.

"You can take my brother's room. He always passes out on the couch or next to the toilet when he's home, which irritates the shit outta me when I gotta use the fuckin' bathroom." Darley took a chug and darted for the couch and television, personally not giving a shit at Lenny's reaction over the dirty flick that started. "And we're out of toilet paper..."

"Don't ask why."

"Uh… right." Her eyes shifted from side to side before they widened at the sounds of the filthy film playing so horrifyingly nonchalant on the television. She paused a moment before shaking her head.

She refused to live in a place like this for one week. The unsanitary environment would plague her mind until she fixed it.

"I'm gonna… uh… go get some stuff from the grocery store. I'll be back." She concluded before pivoting on her heel and charging for the door. She'd need a fucking hazmat suit to tackle this place.

Billy had made Joe drive Lennon to the store before he ditched them to go to one of his friend's parties, which Joe didn't seem to mind. He even offered to help her with her groceries that she'd bought. Mostly, they were cleaning supplies and such, but there were a few snacks for her to nibble on while she was cleaning. She'd probably wind up giving into her cravings and ordering a pizza. What a terrible thought, she mused to herself while entering the apartment. Billy, it seemed, was already gone to man his post. Joe had eventually bid her goodnight and left for his party.

How depressing was this? A beautiful Friday night and Lennon was all alone in the apartment. Though she should've felt sad and lonely, she breathed a sigh of relief. This had been the first time she'd really been alone in a month without Isaiah or one of the gang members watching her closely. She stole a few minutes to relish the solitude before finally getting up off her ass and beginning to clean the apartment.


	9. A New Job and The Victim To Be

Billy hadn't come home until almost four in the morning. His eyes were growing weary, so he hardly noticed that the apartment was spotless. It wasn't until he'd tossed his jacket onto a figure on the couch that he noticed he could actually walk into the living room without tripping over shit on the floor. He noticed the wooden floors had nothing on them. It almost made Billy afraid to walk in his boots. He kicked them off, leaving them by the door. He lifted his jacket to see that Lennon was sleeping on the couch. Her rubber cleaning gloves were still on. By the looks of things, she'd only been planning on sitting down to gather her bearings before she continued on to bed.

He studied her a moment, contemplating on awakening her and sending her into Joe's room, though he knew that she wouldn't be too happy for him waking her up. Knowing Joe, he'd probably be spending the night at his friend's place. The boy hardly ever came home unless he needed to crash or he needed a change of clothes. Billy sniffed, needing to clear his nose while slightly stuck on what he was supposed to do. The couch wasn't necessarily the most comfortable, so she'd probably be waking up stiff.

He had reached out, then settled his arm back at his side. Fuck this. She'd learn about that damn couch the hard way, he finalized before heading into his bedroom. The moment he had turned on the light, however, he found that his room was spotless as well. His eyebrows raised, then he moved to Joe's room, finding it clean as a whistle, too. The bathroom was the same. It seemed that his apartment had a lot more room than he gave it credit for.

"Holy shit." He muttered to himself, scratching the back of his bald head before heading back into his chambers. His bed was even made. What the fuck was this girl thinking? He hadn't done anything for her except let her stay there and she was already taking care of them? Shit, he didn't need her help or her charity.

Being too lazy to wake her up, he decided to sleep on it and give her shit on the morrow.

* * *

Lennon had to wake up at nine, knowing that she'd need a ride to work, she had to wake up Billy in the process. So, here she stood, in the doorway of his bedroom, contemplating how to wake him up. Maybe it would be better to do so from a distance? He looked like he wasn't wearing a shirt. And if he wasn't wearing a shirt, what else _wasn't_ he wearing? She honestly was too scared to find out. So, she had picked up a pillow that happened to fall off the bed, throwing it at him and hoping to God that he would just wake up. Unfortunately, God didn't like her too much and wanted to make her wake him up a different way.

"Hey! Billy!" She shouted, checking her watch. She'd be late if he didn't get the hell up. Still, he wouldn't budge. So, she stepped a bit closer to him, reaching out to poke his bald head. "Hey!" She hissed. "Billy! Get up!" She said a bit louder. Finally, she rolled her eyes in annoyance and put her mouth near his head. "HEY!" She shouted, then jerked back just in time for Billy to flail and force himself upright.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He snapped. Lennon raised her hands, then slapped them back to her sides.

"I've been trying to get you up for the past ten minutes! You sleep like a log, boy. And I'm sure you wouldn't want me to just take your car and go to work. So I decided to wake you up so you could drive me." She explained, placing a hand on her hip as she normally did. Billy seemed to blink a few times in confusion. Warily, he reached for his phone, then flipped it open, checking the time.

"Oh, fuck." He muttered to himself, tossing the blankets from his body and revealing his complete nakedness.

"Good Christ!" Lennon exclaimed at the top of her lungs, falling back as though she was kicked into the wall. Her cheeks immediately went red with embarrassment. "You--you're naked!" She stated, as though he didn't know. After falling back against the wall, she slid down to the floor, beginning to paw her way to stand back up again, keeping her eyes tightly shut still.

"Uh... yeah?" He asked. It wasn't like Lennon hadn't seen a naked man before. She _was_ twenty-one. She had to have lost her sweet little innocence by now. His eyes seemed to widen slightly when her dramatic performance didn't falter.

"Why--why--wh-why--why are you naked? There should be no naked!" She shouted, obviously flustered. Her cheeks were bright red and her fumbling for the door was way off.

"Calm the fuck down, Lenny, it's not like you've never seen a naked guy before." He snapped harshly.

"I haven't, thank you very much, nor was I planning to anytime soon, especially you!" She snapped, gesturing to him as though she were having a normal conversation, though her eyes still remained closed. "I--I--I'm up! I've gotten up! I'm gonna... yeah, see yah out there." She said, motioning to the doorway and leaving swiftly. Billy could only sit there, staring at her in awe. She was twenty-one and hadn't even seen a man naked?

Shit, yah learn something new every day.

Lennon had taken up smoking again, though she had kept it fairly discrete and well-hidden from her brother. She knew how much Isaiah would freak if he knew she was smoking again.

"I didn't know yah fuckin' smoked." Billy stated from behind her. Lennon didn't turn her gaze to him. She merely moved to pick up her bag.

"Neither did I." She retorted, feeling suddenly tense and awkward in seeing him with clothes on. It was only a moment ago that he was standing stark nude in front of her. He gave her a hard pat on the back, almost making her choke on the smoke she'd inhaled. She coughed a bit and he patted her back a bit more.

"You're alright. C'mon, let's get the fuck outta here." He urged. Lennon flicked her cigarette, then made her way to his car with him. She slumped in the passenger seat, staring out the window and trying to count how many people they passed on their way to her work.

* * *

As per usual, Leo made sure that Lennon didn't work much. He was too concentrated in trying to beat her in the Happy Days game again. Lennon often found it tiresome, though she was getting paid hourly, so she wasn't really one to complain. She knew that she could have it a lot worse. Still, since Leo only scheduled her once or twice a week for about six hours tops, the job wasn't necessarily the most promising. So, after work, she hadn't bothered to call Billy just yet. She wanted to hand out a few more resumes around town before she called him.

Much to her surprise, Billy had wound up calling her. Lennon stammered slightly in answering the phone, knowing that she must have been in some sort of trouble with him.

"Where the fuck are you, Lennon?" He snapped roughly over the phone. Lennon stammered again.

"I... I wanted to hand out a few more resumes before I called you to pick me up." She sputtered out nervously.

"That wasn't my fuckin' question, was it? Where are you?" He retorted.

"I--I'm at Al's Diner--"

"I know where it is. Don't fuckin' move from that spot, Berkley!" He hung up the phone just then. Lennon couldn't stop her hand from trembling. Ever since Billy had threatened her, she had been nervous around him. It was something that just came naturally nowadays. Not to mention that event that consisted of Billy lost in drunken stupor, informing her that she owed him two kisses. And now there was his nakedness embedded in her mind. What the hell was up with this man in making her feel so tiny?

Once his car had pulled up, Lennon couldn't stop her knees from shaking.

"Get. In." He threatened lowly through the open window. Lennon didn't need telling twice. She got into the car without question, shoving her bag down to her feet and folding her arms over her chest. When he didn't budge from his spot, she glanced over to him, noting that he was still staring at her.

"What?" She snapped back at him, infuriated with both him and herself.

"Seatbelt, yah dumb bitch."

"Fuck you, Billy." She retorted under her breath, reaching for the seatbelt.

"What, you'd much rather fuckin' walk?" Now discovering that it was actually an option, Lennon let go of the seatbelt and made to open the door, but gasped when the front of her shirt was grabbed and she was dragged to touch nose-to-nose with Billy. "That wasn't a fucking invitation."

"But I'd much rather walk if it means I get to avoid you and your childish, immature Nazi complex." She said in a rather rude tone, rude enough to almost match his.

"Oh really. Nazi complex."

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd remember them if you'd actually paid attention in high school, jackass." She was confident at first, but when Billy raised his hand, obviously ready to strike her, she flinched. He lowered his hand, then released her shirt. Lennon was so frightened, she was bolting out of the car within seconds, running as fast as her legs would carry her down the street and into an alleyway, making her way back to Isaiah's apartment complex.

* * *

Lennon's fear carried her far enough. Her breath hitched in her throat and she stopped for the umpteenth time after twenty minutes of running, patting her left knee to try and get it working again. "Come on, you son of a bitch..." She muttered under her breath. She bent her knees, feeling them crack. She sighed in relief. Her knee was back to normal. For now. She began walking now, still out of breath from the previous jog. Due to the loud heaving coming from her, she was unable to discover that she was now being followed by two thugs who had far too much time on their hands and drugs in their systems.

One glance behind her had kicked the tiny dancer into high gear. Her walk had become a dead run once she found they were gaining on her. "Shit!" She cursed, pumping her arms, forcing her body to move faster than it was accustomed to. She felt suddenly out of breath. She couldn't stop, though. She was in danger and she couldn't even remember the way back home in her blind fear. "Home... home!" She now warned herself for future reference to always remember that there were worse people who wanted to hurt her than Billy, in case she got caught up in a dilemma like this again. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and found Billy's number. She called it.

Who could she call that would come to her damn aid now?

Billy. She searched his name in her phone, ducking into an alleyway and zooming along the narrow path, turning a few corners in attempts to get away from the speedy hooligans. Breathless and strained with every muscle in her body begging for rest, she held the phone desperately to her ear.

"Lennon, you tell me where the _fuck_ you are, right now!" Came the shouting from the other end. Billy Darley was definitely not a happy person, especially with her.

"Billy?!" She almost cried into the phone, whimpering something under her breath that even she couldn't make out. She would've heard him sit up if she hadn't been running so hard.

She began limping. Her knee was giving out.

"Lennon? The fuck is wrong?" He asked.

"I'm... guys... fuck!" She cursed.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" He snapped. She could hear him grunt when she hadn't responded right off the bat. "Answer my fuckin' question, bitch, where the fuck are you?" He demanded.

"I-I'm being chased!" She exclaimed, her eyes growing weary as the seconds ticked by. She could feel her knee locking. This wasn't a good thing. "I was running-I'm still running!" She was damn delirious now. She couldn't think right. "Two guys-ah!" A blast from a gun was heard as she ducked into another corner. "Guns!" Her eyes widened. She picked up speed. "They got guns!"

"Where are you, Lennon!" He almost shouted into the phone. Just around the time she emerged onto a street corner. She took in the letters of the sign quickly and took off to her left down the street, ignoring the strain the sudden jolt put on her knee. "Lennon fuckin' Berkley, you better still be there!" His voice rang through her mind, bringing her back to her senses.

"Benjamin Avenue and Vaughan!" She shouted back into the phone.

She heard Billy curse into the phone. "There's a bar nearby there called the Four Roses. Duck in there, find a guy named Toby, I'll be there in five minutes." He assured her. Lennon whimpered a moment as she heard them catching up. She saw the sign for the Four Roses. She dashed faster in that direction. "Lennon!"

"My knee! I hurt it! It's giving out!" She said in a panicked tone. Billy swore under his breath again.

"Just hold tight at the Roses, Lennon! I'll fuckin' be there!" He hung up the phone. Lennon felt more alone now than ever before. Billy's voice had been reassuring and he had now gone from her mind. The ten-year-old part of her needed her best friend right now and he had just hung up on her. _He'll be there._ Her mind assured her, determined to keep her on the brighter side of things. _He'll help._ Billy may have not been the same guy she knew when she was ten years old, but she knew that her best friend was in there somewhere. That alone was reassuring.

She ducked into the bar and did as she was told, seeking out Toby and informing him that Billy had told her to come here for help. After informing him that she was being chased, Toby seemed to give her an understanding look, leading her into a more secluded part of the bar. He allowed her to sit down albeit grumpily. She knew she must have inconvenienced him, but as of the moment, she couldn't help herself. She needed the assistance and his help was very much appreciated. Toby wound up getting her some ice for her knee and a cool drink of water.

Billy had arrived as promised. He had almost burst through the door, his gun clasped within his hand underneath his jacket. Toby calmed him, assuring him that Angie was alright. Billy lead himself into the back room, his eyes falling upon Lennon, who was now sitting in dead silence with Toby's wife, Maria, and was also holding an ice pack to her knee. Billy nodded to her and she arose, clutching the photo album of her wedding with Toby to her chest. Women and their memories. Why did things always need to be documented and remembered?

Some things were better left forgotten.


	10. The Sore Leg and The Confession

Billy sniffed, scratching the side of his nose as he now leaned in the doorway, almost as though some type of barrier was preventing him from entering. He folded his thick, tattooed arms over his chest, looking down at her now. "Hey." Was all he could say in greeting. There wasn't really much a man like Billy _could_ say in a time like this. He really wasn't the sentimental type of guy.

"Hey." She said in reply, her eyes traveling from Billy to the floor. "Thanks uh-"

"Don't mention it. Get up, I'm taking you back home." He commanded, a bit more harshness in his voice, which startled her. Len, however, knew this anti-emotional attitude and she held up her hand, annoyed that he would make her move at such a time.

"You can wait. My knee hurts, I'm really in no mood to-" Billy cut her off again.

"Stop whinin' and get your ass up, Lennon." He demanded. However, even though he had used her full name, Lennon had sat right where she was and glared at him. What a way to treat a woman who could've gotten raped or murdered or something far worse than she could imagine. It shouldn't have surprise her. This was how Billy was now.

"Give. Me. A second." She ground out through gritted teeth. This almost shocked Billy, though he never showed it. Instead, he dropped his arms, puffing out his chest a bit more and standing upright in the doorway. He almost filled it completely, with his muscular build. He was only doing it to intimidate her, to make her believe that he was the stronger party and that he could easily bend her in half like a twig if she didn't cooperate.

It was working. Lennon huffed, muttering a resounding "men and their egos" under her breath as she limped slowly towards the doorway. Billy, having no patience whatsoever, had reached out and in one swift motion, he grabbed her hips and hauled the tiny woman off the ground, placing her over his shoulder and thanking Toby and his wife with a curt nod before fully exiting the Four Roses and almost tossing her into the passenger seat of the car. "What is wrong with you?" She snapped viciously as he sat in the driver's seat. Her harsh glare ripped through his skull. He paid no heed to it and drove out of the parking lot. "Jesus! I never thought I'd be so humiliated in my life."

"Yeah, well, humbleness is a good thing sometimes, babe." He snapped back calmly, coolly. As though Lennon really wouldn't do anything except scold him verbally. He had taken much worse.

"Yeah, how hypocritical of you to say that. I'll bet if I was to humble you, you would hate me for life." She retorted, crossing her arms over her well-endowed chest and slumping grumpily back in her seat.

"Why would you do something so damn stupid, Lennon? Now you know why Isaiah drove you the rest of the fuckin' way to the damn grocery store." He scolded. Lennon said nothing, she merely slumped a bit further in her seat, puffing her bangs out of her face and glaring at the road. Typical Lenny behavior, Billy mused. She would ignore him and if he prodded enough, she'd explode into a tantrum. She was like a time bomb waiting to go off. "Isaiah already knows that you left. I called him before you called me to let him know you ran the fuck off." He muttered angrily, turning the ignition and getting into gear, zooming out of his parking spot and making his way back to his complex.

"Well, he--"

"Somethin' like this ain't gonna fuckin' happen again because I'm putting you on fuckin' probation, Lennon. You ain't gonna step fuckin' foot out of my fuckin' shithole unless you got me or Joe with you." He could feel Lennon's harsh scowl piercing through his skull. He still never looked at her once. He knew the scolding he was about to get from her. "I ain't got no time to rescue you constantly, Len. Even if it ain't me that's gotta be keepin' you safe, you have to have _someone_ with you."

"I'm a big girl, Billy, I can take care of my own damn self." She argued lamely. Billy raised a brow and turned his head to her, looking at her finally.

"That why you called me?" He asked.

She slumped in her seat again. Typical Lennon.

The long and painful silence that followed put Billy in a rut. He wanted to say something, anything to make it so she'd talk again, so the sounds of mute hate could quit constantly radiating between them. He lit up a cigarette and unrolled his window. What he just came to realize was that Lennon had done the same thing at the exact same time he had. How fucking weird was that?

"So... why were you away from work in the first fuckin' place?" Billy asked, less to grill her and more to actually figure out why she was wandering the streets of Boston all by herself.

"I wanted to hand out resumes. I need to find another job. Maybe as a waitress or something." Lennon replied robotically, bringing her cigarette to her lips to take a drag of smoke. Once again, at the same time Billy had. She scrunched her nose up in annoyance, staring straight ahead. They were way too alike in habits right now.

"I get yah. Your boss is a fuckin' dumbass." He commented, shaking his head.

"I _know_. Jesus, you should try spending 8 hours with that guy. The things he starts talking about is just... they're weird. I mean, yeah, the concept of slacking off more than usual on the job was a nice thought at first, but... I dunno. I need structure." She said, pausing abruptly when she realized she was jabbering. "I just... I feel like I'm not earning my keep with him. I want to work, not play. I need..." She stopped herself, glancing out the window and tapping her fingers in impatience against her aching knee.

"What?" Billy prodded, wanting her to finish her sentence.

"I just need some sort of distraction. The last thing I want is to just sit around all day with my own thoughts. They're lethal enough when I wake up in the morning and before I go to bed." She wanted to escape her own head. She almost sounded as though she wanted to be a different person, in a different world, in a different body, a different face, voice, personality. Billy certainly wouldn't go with that.

"Why? What's so wrong with bein' right where you fuckin' are?" He asked her. Lennon seemed to shrug and take another drag of her cigarette.

"It's not so much being back with 'Aiah and you and everyone... it's just being here and being all stressed out when I just... nevermind, it's nothing."

"Len." Billy said sternly. Lennon shook her head, her face scrunching again slightly. God, was she going to cry? Billy certainly hoped not. He really wouldn't know how to handle that. He really wasn't the boy she remembered so long ago.

"Look, it's not like you'd understand, Billy. Really. But hey, if you wanna know, my dad and stepmom died in a car crash. I sold everything they owned, then moved here. I didn't want anymore memories of them and now... now it just feels like I'm in a rut. I want to move on, get my life back in order, but here... it just feels like I'm taking more steps backwards than I am forth. I'm just... I'm feeling really stuck right now. I wish I could just... fade away, you know? Kind of dissolve into... something better. Something more than this." Soon, she fell silent. Billy seemed to sniff slightly as he stopped the car in the apartment parking lot in annoyance of his sudden guilt on the topic. He tossed his cigarette out the window. Lennon had done the same soon after.

It wasn't the small curve of her delicate neck that startled him, though the shock that he was giving her a comforting touch at all was enough to make him want to shove his foot up his own ass. It was how warm her flesh was against the pads of his calloused fingers, how smooth and silky her hair was and how welcoming the curve itself seemed, almost as though the supple, soft flesh beneath the chocolate tresses called out to be savored, nibbled and bruised by his mouth. It had been some time since Billy had indulged himself in the comforts of a feminine embrace. Nowadays, STDs were a bitch to avoid. The Gang Lord refused to take too many risks.

Slowly, he tugged her in his direction. Lennon's shocked expression met his own stern, piercing gray hues. Their foreheads pressed together. Memories swept back to her. He used to do that to her when they were younger. The moment their eyes locked, both expressions seemed to soften somewhat. Billy's fingers threaded through her hair, balling slightly and tugging the tresses gently.

She was close... so close. Billy barely noticed that their lips were inching closer to each other's. He heard her gulp. He clenched his jaw, working it and attempting to find the will to rip himself away from her. He couldn't find the strength to do so just yet.

"Kiss me." He hissed at her, his voice rough and demanding, as it normally was.

"Why?" She whispered back in that sweet, innocent and virginal tone. Billy grinned.

"Because if you don't, I'll kiss you anyway." He replied, his eyes never once breaking from her own. He heard her gulp again. She was still so scared of him. Good. She had every right to be.


	11. The Tease and The Consequences

Lennon's shocked gaze never faltered. On the contrary, it seemed to become more defined in Billy's keen sight. Still, Billy knew that she was never one to disappoint. She was caving. It was all in the way her innocent, untouched mouth seemed to tickle the rough hairs of his goatee. This caused the tension to thicken so much that Billy was a hairsbreath away from throwing her caution to the wind, damning the consequences and taking whatever fury she held for him right along with it. Her wrath could certainly prove for _very_ interesting aftermath, after all.

Abruptly, he felt pressure on his mouth. It shocked him. He honestly wasn't expecting her to give into him so swiftly. Not that he was complaining, really, the softness of her silken mouth brought him into a world never experienced; a world where she would break into a million shards if he handled her too roughly. Before he could jerk her lips-first under his spell, his mouth was relieved of that luscious pressure. The kiss couldn't have lasted longer than a second or two. He watched her eyes as she had pulled back, aiming to exit the car and leave him hanging on such a brief and unsatisfying brush of pouts. Oh no. She'd dug herself this deep, now she was in for it.

His thick, strong arm reached out, grabbing the front of her garb and forcing her back into the car. His eyes were cold, stern, mutely telling her that she was going to stay in the damned car until he saw fit for her to leave. He could feel her trembling beneath his touch. Fuck the softness and how good it felt. He'd kiss her in his own way if she couldn't offer him the satisfaction he needed. He'd take what he wanted if she refused to give it. Fuck her comfort level. All he cared about was kissing the girl senseless.

"You ain't gettin' away with a bullshit, half-assed peck like that, honey." He snapped before his mouth came down hard on hers, practically devouring her on impact, almost bruising her pouts.

Lennon barely had time to react. Before she knew it, her hands had balled his shirt into her fists, lightly pushing against his chest to signify that she wanted no more of this roughness. A feral growl set her straight, causing the push to lessen in strength, though her body never stopped fluttering from his mouth. For the first time in her life, Lennon was completely petrified of this man. She was helpless against his strength and she hated it. She had nothing to defend herself with and she hated it. Plus, she was hardly experienced in the aspect of making out with a guy and Billy... oh, Billy was very skilled in his dominance and technique. Even with his roughness and possessive bites and nips, Lennon found herself whimpering in response and practically going limp against his hold.

Billy wasted no time in forcing her to straddle his waist in the driver's seat. Lennon's shaking, slender body was tugged flush against his chest. God, she was a tiny little girl. Yet he still couldn't find the patience to go slow. Everything did play a fast to the eldest Darley boy.

"Mmph!" Came Lennon's squeak of shock and boundaries crossed when she felt his palm smack against the crotch of her jeans, fishing for the button so he could undo them and shove his hand inside to give her... something she'd never even thought to experience before. "Hey--ow!" She jerked back from the kiss, jumping slightly and hitting her head on the roof of the car. "No... none of that. I... I'm not... just--no. No."

"Too fast, huh." Billy grunted out, his voice still strained. She could see his chest was heaving and his face was slightly flushed. Obviously she'd done more than a good job at getting him all hot and heavy. Her abrupt and fervent nodding indicated that his theories were correct. She certainly was a virgin. To many, many things. God, this was going to be torture for him. "Alright. Let's go inside." He instructed. He noted the semi-hurt, flushed look on her face. "Don't gimme that fuckin' look, Len, you're leavin' me with blue-balls, here." He snapped slightly.

"You were the one who kissed me all... like _that_! Don't pin this on me, this is your fault, you brought it on yourself." She retorted, giving him a defiant look. Billy could only grin, running his hands over her thighs.

"Your legs gettin' shaky and whatnot... it's kinda hot that you're scared of me, Lennon." Immediately, his hands pawed their way to her ass, giving a hard tug and nestling his obvious arousal in the crotch of her jeans so she could feel what she'd started with him. Her small gasp caused his wolfish grin to widen. "Now you owe me two fuckin' kisses. I guarantee you that by the third? You won't be able to say no."

"Let me go, Billy." Came Lennon's hard voice, though slightly shaken and nervous. Billy slowly began a rhythm of grinding against her and he could feel her trembling harder. "William Darley, you let me go right now or I'll--"

"You'll what, Len? Scream? Hit me? Ain't nothin' I haven't taken before and I do like it a little rough." He replied. Lennon unlocked the driver's door and swung it open, shoving his hands off her. Billy allowed it, linking his fingers behind his head. "I'm gonna order a pizza. You come inside when you're more in possession of yourself." She snapped before slamming the door and almost dashing for the door to the apartment.

Nothing seemed to be going in her favor. The second she'd reached the door, she'd forgotten it was locked and there was no key. The only person who had the key was Billy.

"Lookin' for a fuckin' way in?" Came that voice behind her, though it was more composed and cool than she'd remembered in the car. Lennon hadn't bothered to turn and face him. The shame was too great at the moment. She merely stood there with her arms crossed and her hip cocked to the side.

Billy wouldn't take her mute wrath in stride. No, he liked embarrassing her. So, he pressed his hard chest to her frail spine, his hand smoothing over her flat stomach while the other reached into his pocket to fish for his keys. He dipped his head low and caught her earlobe between his teeth, giving it a gentle tug and almost feeling her head tilt off to the side to allow him better access. However, she thought twice and blocked him off from her ear, craning her head and wiping the saliva off on her shirt. In response to such a cold, effortless act, he tugged her to be flush against his chest. He felt her stumble slightly, her ass pressing directly into his hard arousal.

He did nothing more, merely leaning forward and sliding the key into the slot, turning it and shoving the door open. Had she been as strong as he was, she could've knocked him back. Instead, all she was really capable of was a small step back from him before she charged into the apartment, red-faced and infuriated with him.

Another wolfish grin plastered onto his face as he stole into the apartment as well, taking off his shoes and shutting the door behind him. Oh yeah... breaking her down would be a blast.


	12. The Beauty and Her Beast

It was in times like these that Lennon royally loathed her days off. Now she was practically stuck inside for 24 hours with Joe in the apartment because she couldn't be trusted by herself. Not that she really minded. Joe had become a rather dependable friend; one who hadn't let her down as Billy had. But still... having a guy friend like Joe could only suffice for so much before her actual girls were required. Plus, he had been acting like more of a bodyguard every time he came home. He'd ask where she was going if she was so much as sliding her sneakers on to go outside for a cigarette; only making her all the more paranoid. She felt like a prisoner, not a guest anymore. So, she would continue wasting away her days indoors; performing normal household chores just to keep her mind thoroughly occupied. Now and then she would convince Joe to take her out for lunch or a walk... something... _anything_ to keep her mind from wandering to horrible thoughts.

"All o'ya, shut up!" Billy slammed his fist on the table, turning to look at Bodie. "Ya can't be telling me ya didn't find anythin' on these guys, man." He refused to accept that the men who had tried attacking Lennon would just walk away from this. She had been an innocent; one of the many Billy claimed to corrupt himself. She was not to be touched by any spot of violence except his own. Because they had not taken his warning to heart, these men would have to pay the price for doing something so foolish. God only knows what would have happened if they finally got a hold of her.

"They're ghosts, man. Asked everybody I know. I got nothin'." The boys went in a round, nodding and agreeing that they hadn't been able to come up with a scrap of anything on these boys. "At least she's safe now, right? Got Joe and all of us lookin' out for her." The boys didn't mind looking after Lenny. She was kind-hearted, loving and forgiving of their harsh natures. She did nothing but beam brightly and welcome them with open arms. Even if on some level she was petrified of them, she still braved their company and took their rough-edged attitudes in stride. She was one hell of a young woman and every last one of them enjoyed her company. "Shit won't happen again, man."

"Bodie... these assholes tried to fuck up Lenny. Isaiah's sister." He threw the last bit in to avoid the awkward stares from his boys. He soon realized he barely needed to. Just the fact that it was Lennon had everybody in a rut. "I want 'em dead." He finalized. He shot a curt nod to his boys, who soon dissipated on command and left Billy with Bodie to go about their searching. Only two days after Lennon's near-death experience and these boys couldn't find anything? Bullshit.

"B." Bodie's smooth voice caught Darley's attention. He raised his gaze to him. "What's with you, man? Never had a problem lettin' women troubles slide before." Only he could ask questions like this. Due to his bravery and the few drinks Billy had consumed prior to this moment, however, the gang lord had half a mind to pummel his face in and leave it at that. "Look, I ain't tryin' to be funny." Good thing. "Len's a peach, we all know this. But is the whole situation really worth all this trouble, man? Remember, she's just a girl."

"Bodie..." He leaned in, gripping the shot glass in one hand while he raised his cigarette to his mouth with the other. He exhaled and narrowed his slate eyes upon his childhood friend. "Ya best get on outta here before I give yah a shiv." He retorted. Bodie said nothing more, excusing himself from Billy's presence with an unfazed incline of his head. He wouldn't prod if it meant Billy was still touchy on the subject. Smart move, too. The last time he hadn't stopped, he wound up hospitalized.

Billy ran his hands over his face, trying his best to keep himself awake. Sleep had not touched him once in the past two nights. Bones had been pushing him harder and now he had a young woman to keep a seductive eye on. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, as nothing ever was. His stress levels were slowly reaching their pique and Lennon's constant, open loathing of him was not helping. It was beginning to reach the point where he would snap if she so much as breathed his name the wrong way.

"'Nother shot, Billy?" Came the barkeep's call. Billy contemplated the option a moment, then nodded curtly in his old friend's direction in a stoic manner. He took another drag as the tender sifted around the corner, placing two shots in front of him. "One's on me, man."

Unable to find his gratitude, Billy merely nodded and took up one, tossing it back and letting the liquid burn his throat.

God, how could so much have changed since they were kids? He could still remember when they were younger. He came over to play video games with her brother and he'd wind up attacking and playfully torturing her every chance he got. Now, it was no different. He would torture her verbally and petrify her physically. But now... sexual attraction had been tossed into the midst and Lennon was not as soft as she'd been when she was ten years old. But what changed? Perhaps the innocence that faded away? Maybe the fresh anger that he knew boiled in her veins for him and his authority? Maybe the attraction had changed a lot more than he thought.

His eyes narrowed upon the complimentary shot. He replayed the various scenarios; the fights and intimate moments they shared. What started out as an entertaining ruse was chalking up to be something more overwhelming than anything Billy could imagine. He tossed the shot back and slammed it down, motioning for two more as he remained lost in thought.

But through his teasing games and his rude comments to her, only one thing seemed more potent than his hatred for everything she stood for.

Possession; a feral, animalistic drive to divide and conquer. A hunger to keep her protected from all the horrors he'd grown up around. He wanted her to - well... that was just it. He wanted _her_. It ate away at his soul, awakening a lust-thirsty beast in his chest that was only ever sated when he smothered her mouth with his own and trapped her against him.

He took up the two freshly delivered shots and downed them both in succession.

Two more and then the beast would awaken...


	13. The Drunk and The Hesitant

"What did he say?" Lennon asked nonchalantly as she lounged on the couch. Joe shrugged and tucked his cell phone back into his pocket. "Nothin' important, huh?" He shook his head in response. She took it in stride, sighing heavily as her eyes remained glued on the TV. "Do you think Billy will keep on like this after I'm back under Isaiah's roof?"

"I think so, yeah." Joe replied as he stood, putting his shoes on and crossing to the door. "Billy's just outside, so I gotta go meet up with a buddy. You take care, yeah?" He announced. Lennon shrugged helplessly.

"You got it, hun." He disappeared through the entrance the moment the engine for Billy's car could be heard revving in the distance. Joe eventually sped off, leaving Billy to tackle the spiral steps of his apartment building by himself while he was half in the bag. He soon stumbled through the front door and kicked off his shoes, grunting as he shrugged off his leather jacket and hung it up on the makeshift coat rack Lennon had fashioned herself. Brilliant girl, making all her own appliances, Billy mused with a humorous grin. "How was the bar?"

Her voice made that beast stir and roar with thirst. Billy turned to her. Her back was facing him coldly. She never even bothered to turn and greet him as she would his boys. No... his boys would be getting hugs and affectionate kisses on the cheek. Billy would be getting nothing but cold stares. Why? Because he was looking out for her safety? Because, in his own sick and twisted way, he was protecting her for her own good? It made him grunt in response to her question.

"That good, huh?" She muttered, a sour tone in her voice. She jumped slightly when she felt his presence behind her and shuddered in shock when his hands cupped her shoulders and began massaging them. The immediate relief that swelled in her body made her close her eyes in appreciation of his skill. He stooped to his knees, smoothing his hands over her arms and back up. Coiling those thick digits around the curtain of chocolate tresses shielding her delicious neck from his wanton mouth, he tugged it to drape over her opposite shoulder.

Her relaxation desisted the moment his mouth consumed her neck. She tensed, making to push forward and make him stop. His hands thought quick, acting as prison bars to pin her arms in one place as he indulged in her scent and taste. Lennon hardly realized she was holding her breath from the surreal nature of the situation. He had practically avoided her these past few days and now he was kissing her neck so ferociously? Lennon's confusion only added to her determination to pull away and get some air. She had whispered his name in order to grasp his attention, but he only emitted a series of dark, possessive growls against her logical struggles.

"Billy." She said his name more sternly.

He paused, infuriated with her rational behavior. How could the woman be so damn stubborn and level-headed when he was pulling these moves? In an act of defiance, he released her and stood. He heard her breathe a sigh of relief... which was soon followed by a yelp when he hoisted her body off the couch and swung her over his shoulder. Her demands to be released went unheard as he gripped her ass shamelessly and stormed into his bedroom. He kicked the door shut behind him, knowing his way well enough through the darkness to find the bed once his knees hit.

He stood there a moment, running his hand appreciatively over her backside.

"Darley, put me down _right_ now!" She demanded. He grinned at the shakiness in her voice and the feeble poundings of her fists on his back. With one firm swing, he grabbed both cheeks hard and flipped her onto the mattress on her back. "Oof! What the hell is wrong with you?" She shouted, fuming. He could see her chest heaving from her struggles. Her tank top was rucked up, exposing the smooth and tantalizing flesh of her toned stomach. One strap fell shamelessly over her shoulder, taunting him with more flesh that he couldn't wait to bruise and punish with everything he had. The other shoulder cradled the silken pool of chestnut curls that he couldn't wait to tug and breathe the sweet scent of. Her cheeks were flushed a deep red. Her shorts had rode low, exposing but a little pink strap of a thong.

He didn't respond, merely allowing his eyes to rake down her body, raping every inch as if he were a predator; as if he were contemplating which part of her to eat up first. She made to shuffle back in order to gain some distance. His hand snapped outward and grabbed her ankle, pinning it in place.

"Billy, you're drunk." She didn't want to do this when he was drunk. Hell, she didn't even want to do it when he was sober, but his intoxication was a viable enough excuse for the time being. "You don't know what you're doing."

His calloused palm glided appreciatively along her calve muscle, squeezing at her knee and jerking her leg open. Goosebumps erupted in the wake of his touch, which shifted to the inside of her thigh. The backs of his fingers ghosted over her flesh, making her squirm. He smirked in his triumph. He hadn't even crawled onto the bed. He merely stood beside it, one hand doing all the dirty work for now. He reached the hem of her shorts, tracing as much as he could. He watched his fingers as they brushed the skin enviously, imagining simply ripping the obstacles from her body and replacing those fingers with his mouth. Darley traced the other hem of the denim cage, jealousy raking through him as he admired them.

"I hate these shorts." He said finally, tugging at the fray in the hem slightly. Lennon's eyes never left him, confusion still vacant in her appalled expression. "They get to hug that fine ass every day. 'N press against that heat..." The pads of his fingers tapped against the crotch of the jeans, causing Lennon to jump slightly. "But yah look good in 'em."

"Billy." She breathed. "Please, just... stop it, okay?"

"Why would I do that when I know you don't want me to, huh? Just plain rude, Lenny." He reached up, his forefinger tracing the button of her jeans. The temptation to unbutton that damn thing and pull the copper track of the zipper open was growing. He ran his hungry tongue over his bottom lip. He felt her shake. He smirked. Billy felt powerful and in control once again. His hand braved and rucked her blue tank top up a little further, exposing a matching pink bra with a front-clasp. The thought of undoing it with his teeth only made his wolfish grin widen lethally. She trembled harder as his fingers traced her bellybutton and did the same to the outline of her bra. He'd even grown brave enough to admire the silken flesh of the tops of her breasts. Lennon was almost positive she heard a longing groan whisper from his tongue. He grew more courageous, cupping a breast almost too gently... too appreciatively. Len gasped, involuntarily thrusting her chest further into his groping palm. Billy leaned in until they were nose-to-nose. "'M I gonna have to use my second kiss to teach you a lesson in manners?"

"Billy, please-" She didn't get the chance to finish her beg. He had already closed his lips over her own, imprisoning her in an animalistic lip-lock. Berkley whimpered against his lips and attempted pulling away. His growl shocked her. Strong, rough hands seized her waist and he forced her onto her back, wedging himself between her legs. Muffled pleas of protest fled her lips, but even she knew better. Wetness was already beginning to pool between her thighs. She was hot, heavy and ready for him and she just refused to acknowledge it.

He'd make her see it.


End file.
